Prince will debut two new albums in September

Prince's new solo album, 'Art Official Age,' and the album 'PlectrumElectrum,' which he worked on with the band 3RDEYEGIRL, will both be released on Sept. 30. Prince was behind such albums as 'Purple Rain' and '1999.'

By
Mesfin Fekadu, Associated Press /
August 25, 2014

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Prince appears at The Apollo Theater in New York.

Peter Kramer/AP

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Prince is releasing a new album on Sept. 30.

The pop icon announced Monday that he would release "Art Official Age" on Warner Bros. Records, the label Prince was signed to from 1978 to the mid-1990s, but later battled for the rights to his music.

Prince will also release the album "PlectrumElectrum" with his all-female band 3RDEYEGIRL on Sept. 30. Both albums are available for pre-order.

"Art Official Age" was described in a news release as a mix "of soul, R&B and funk." It's his first album since 2010's "20Ten."

Prince released key projects like "Purple Rain," ''1999," ''Diamonds and Pearls," and "Around the World in a Day" on Warner. The agreement with the label comes years after his relationship with Warner soured as he failed to gain possession of the music he recorded for the label. Prince changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol and wrote the word "slave" on his cheek. He also vowed to rerecord the 17 albums he released on the label and sell them on his own.

After Warner, Prince began releasing music in 1996 over the Internet and struck deals with Arista Records and Columbia Records, where he saw a comeback with the Grammy-winning "Musicology" in 2004.

His second upcoming album, "PlectrumElectrum," will feature 3RDEYEGIRL, the band that includes guitarist Donna Grantis, drummer Hannah Ford Welton, and bassist Ida Nielsen.

Prince and the trio performed in Europe this year during their "Hit & Run" tour.

He also recently guest-starred on the Fox sitcom “New Girl” in the show’s post-Super Bowl episode. This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of his film and album “Rain,” with the album version having been released in June and the movie following in July of that year.